The Department of Health & the Coronavirus

Dr Tony Bartone, Federal President of the AMA, joins Michael to discuss the Department of Health’s announcement that it will work across agencies to implement additional measures to manage the risk of novel coronavirus from the region of Wuhan in China.

Chief Medical Officer, Professor Brendan Murphy says the department has well-established mechanisms to detect and respond to ill travellers, and processes in place to implement further measures if the risk increases.

After consulting other Government agencies and the states and territories, they are now undertaking evidence based, proportionate additional border measures, particularly in relation to the three weekly direct flights from Wuhan to Sydney.